Kurai/Guide
(This page is currently being reformatted to the new Class Guide Template.) Strengths and Weaknesses Strengths # High offensive potential with a focus on combos, similar to Assailant # Rushdown role grants him high anti-zoning, such as a high-speed burst of sprint and a projectile counter # Wide-reaching melee attacks with large hitboxes and little startup # Numerous different combo starters, extenders and a true damage attack, all of which can be used in the same combo # Incredible air control and airstalling potential Weaknesses # Low Health (900 HP/90% of average class HP) # Rushdown role limits his amount of defensive and ranged tools # Notoriously high endlag on multiple attacks that can lead to devastating punishes upon whiff # Pathetic Shield pressure # Utilizes one of the most avoidable EX Specials in the game Playstyle As Kurai, your main objective is to catch up to the enemy. While Rushdown/Zoner hybrids like Avalon can juggle the opponent between close and mid-range, your approach as Kurai is much more straightforward. In order to succeed in combat, you will almost always be in close quarters with your enemy, and constantly catching them with the extensive reach of your sword. However, don't expect the wide swings of your blade to simply do the work for you. All the opponent has to do is block and you are already at a disadvantage. Sometimes, in order to hunt down your prey, you must first coax them out of their safe zone. Be patient and try to bait them out of their Shield, before ensnaring them in one of your fast-acting combo starters just as they lower their guard. Consider this mantra -- efficiency before style. Maybe you picked up Kurai because it looks flashy, or it reminded you of a certain anime, or maybe you just like katanas. Whatever the reason, don't lose yourself in the splendor of J.AC loops and long-winded combos -- your opponent isn't going to care about your combo unless it's lethal. Moveset Universal Skills Autocombos Specials (SP) EX Specials Combos 'Bread and Butter (BnB)' 13 inputs, ~440/~510 damage, requires no Heat LC Starter *'J.AC2 > SP1 > SP6 > slow(H.AC3) > LC > J.AC2 > SP6 > SP3 > BT > L.AC (w) L.AC2 > J.AC2 AD2 J.AC2 AD J.AC2 > LC > slow(J.AC2) > SP1 > SP6 > SP5 > SP6 ''(~510/~580 damage)' - Extended version of the BnB. *'J.AC2 > SP1 > SP6 > slow(H.AC3) > LC > J.AC2 > SP6 > SP3 > BT > L.AC (w) L.AC2 > J.AC2 AD2 J.AC2 AD J.AC2 > LC (w) SP6 > slow(J.AC2) > SP1 > SP6 > SP8 (~540/~610 damage)' - '''Requires 3 Heat'. Extended BnB with a trickier SP8 finish. SP6 must be dispersed early enough to where they hit the opponent right before the SP8 hits. H.AC Starter *'H.AC3 > LC > J.AC2 > SP1 > SP6 > L.AC2 > J.AC2 AD J.AC2 > LC > J.AC2 > SP6 > SP3' (~460/~530 damage) *'H.AC2 > reverse H.AC3 > BT > LC > J.AC2 AD J.AC2 > SP1 > SP6 > L.AC2 > J.AC2 AD J.AC2 > LC > J.AC2 > SP6 > SP3' L.AC Starter *'L.AC2 > J.AC2 AD J.AC2 > LC > J.AC2 > SP1 > SP6 > H.AC3 > LC > J.AC2 AD J.AC2 > SP6 > SP3' Matchups 'Assailant' See: Assailant A dangerous matchup. Assailant's kit makes him a brick wall to your "rush in and swing" tactics, but fortunately for you, he also lacks the range to meet you halfway in close-range combat. If he wants to approach you, he'll have to step into your zone of danger. Chances are, Assailant is aware of his pathetic range, and is going to wait for you to come to him. He will periodically turtle in close range and wait for you to poke his shield so he can shut you down, or take a bolder approach and override your attacks with GB, SP1 or SP5. Coax out these precious tools of his by lurking around him ("circling") in close range, or bait his SP5 by intentionally whiffing your GB while he is blocking. If Assailant does draw you into a combo, be sure to indiscriminately use SP2 to just teleport out of whatever he has planned next. The point is, Assailant exploits best what you are guilty of the most -- endlag. Avoid overextending in neutral with high endlag moves (e.g. L.AC, SP1, etc) at all costs. No swing of your blade should be without a plan. Most of all, be patient -- once he expends his only countermeasures, Assailant will become just as easy prey as the rest of the roster. 'Avalon' See: Avalon 'Kurai' See: Kurai 'Virtue' See: Virtue A fairly easy matchup. Virtue is a pure Zoner (the role a Rushdown works best against), so to some extent, you have your work cut out for you. Your SP4 counters half of his kit, and your high sprint speed and melee range were both born to close the gap that Virtue always tries to create. However, don't let this advantage get the better of you. A smart Virtue is aware of your pathetic Shield pressure, and will try to make the most of his Shield by pushblocking you on every whiff. A witty Virtue is also aware of his many counterable projectiles, and might try to bait out your SP4 by block cancelling or intentionally whiffing attacks like Water SP2 and Earth SP5. Lastly, they'll also take a liking towards Fire, the only non-projectile element. Take these things into account, and counteract accordingly. You can do so by getting closer to Virtue's projectiles and using SP4 before he can block cancel, saving your Heat for pre-emptive Guardbreaks, and using your fastest, most dispensible attacks such as L.AC and J.AC to reset Virtue's element from Fire. Virtue peaks in strength when he is underestimated. Don't assume you being Kurai means you win by default. Only by planning for the tricks up his sleeve can you put Virtue back in his place -- and avoid a humiliating defeat. Category:Class Guides Category:Work in Progress